Grade 6

Students arrive on the High Rock campus from five different elementary school communities. This, coupled with the awkwardness of the beginning of the adolescent years, makes it important to focus on developing and maintaining healthy friendships. The sixth grade student is also exposed to a tremendous amount of sexual messages through television, music, movies, gaming, and other print media. Some are becoming interested in developing intimate relationships and many are confused about how to handle feelings of attraction. Given all this, a unit focusing on healthy relationships has been developed for grade 6. This unit will include definitions of sex, sexuality and intimacy and teach communication and decision making skills to help support the new social expectations these students will encounter in middle school and beyond. Students will be given one family homework assignment that will facilitate communication with a parent, guardian, or other trusted adult about the topics and experiences covered in this class.

Essential Questions

1. What is the difference between sex and sexuality?

3. What does a healthy relationship look like?

4. How do I make good decisions that will keep me safe and healthy?

5. What do I do if I find myself in an unhealthy relationship?

6. How do I communicate to get my message across?

Skills

1. Distinguish between different types of relationships (including intimate relationships)

State 3-5 qualities of healthy and unhealthy relationships

3. Develop strategies for getting help for yourself or a friend

4. Identify an adult you can talk to about sex and sexuality

5. Demonstrate assertive communication skills and refusal techniques

6. Practice steps in a decision-making process

Parents As Partners: The Needham Public Schools Wellness Department provides curriculum and instruction designed to help students make good decisions, and practice healthy behaviors. We understand that this is an important endeavor and it requires a strong partnership with parents. We believe that parents are their children's primary educator and that each family has it's own values and beliefs about sex and sexuality and the importance of healthy relationships.

Following are four Family Activities. These family activities are designed to promote dialog between our students and their parents/guardians or other trusted adult. Only one of these family activities will be required as part of the course. The others are provided for those parents who wish to use them to promote dialog with their child around the content that is being covered in class.

6.2 What is the Same and What is Different
6.4 Healthy & Unhealthy Behaviors in Relationships
6.5 Values and Decision Making
6.6 What to Do and Where to Go for Help when Confused about how to Respond to a Situation

Lesson 1: Healthy Relationships

Identify the many different types of relationships (acquaintances, peers, friends, close friends, girlfriend, boyfriend, close family, distant family, team mates, cluster mates, etc.)
Identify characteristics of healthy relationships and unhealthy relationships
Identify healthy and unhealthy behaviors within the context of friendships and intimate relationships
Summarize Important take-aways
"Ticket-to-Leave" anonymous questions in question box. Questions answered from previous lesson.
Family Activity - Categorize acceptable and unacceptable behaviors in a relationship. Read through a series of scenarios and brainstorm together where people could get help.

Lesson 2: Communication and Refusal Skills

Discuss different ways in which we communicate (spoken word, written word, body language)
Explore how misunderstandings can occur in communication
Practice strategies for effective communication (active listener and being able to get your message across)
Role play: practice assertive responses to different scenarios
Practice refusal skills: Ways to refuse and still be cool
Summarize important take-aways
"Ticket-to-Leave" anonymous questions in question box. Questions answered from previous lesson

Lesson 3: Personal Values and Decision-Making

Give examples of how unhealthy behaviors can lead to unwanted or unsafe outcomes
Develop a strategy for making decisions (dice thrower vs. bowler)
Explore why teens sometimes find it difficult to make healthy decisions
Explore personal values and how they inform decision-making
Practice the steps in the decision-making process
Summarize important take-aways
"Ticket-to-Leave" anonymous questions in question box. Questions answered from previous lesson

Lesson 4: Safe Surf Workshop

Like any technology, the Internet can be abused and sometimes even dangerous. Children can be the targets of crime, exploitation, and harassment in cyberspace just like in the real world. Therefore, both children and parents need the means to protect themselves. The Safe Surf program will provide students and parents with the knowledge to navigate the Internet with confidence.

A. An In-School Workshop Presented by the Needham Youth Commission
* Learn appropriate ways to use the Internet
* Become aware of how the internet may be harmful
* Develop strategies for dealing with something dangerous one discovers on-line

B. A Parent Presentation Designed to Raise Parents' Awareness and Safeguard their Children in Relation to Internet Use
* Make informed decisions about their child's Internet use in the home
* Consider the pros and cons of using he Internet
* Discover how kids commonly use the Internet
* Develop strategies for safeguarding children from potential dangers related to †the internet

Internet Safety Resource Guide: This publication was created for parents and youth and is available online or in hard copy form

Lesson 5: Introduction/Review of Grade 5 Puberty Unit

Develop agreements and expectations for creating a safe and comfortable class climate
Introduce anonymous question box - Students may ask questions anonymously & put questions into the box
Introduce family activities and discuss the importance of identifying a parent/guardian or other trusted adult with whom students can talk to about healthy relationships
Review the structure of the male and female reproduction systems and understand their function during sexual Intercourse
Summarize important take-aways
"Ticket-to-Leave" anonymous questions in question box. Questions answered from previous lesson

Lesson 6: Sex and Sexuality

Define the social and emotional skills that will be practiced in class (self-awareness, self-management (self-control and impulse control), social awareness, and responsible decision-making)
Define the terms sex and sexuality and explain the difference
Create a list of intimate behaviors and identify those that are appropriate for sixth graders
Summarize important take-aways
"Ticket-to-Leave" anonymous questions in question box. Questions answered from previous lesson